VTSNX vs. VIIIX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTSNX) and Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX).

VTSNX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Nov 29, 2010. VIIIX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Jul 7, 1997.

Performance

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTSNX) and Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VTSNX Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Institutional Shares	-1.02%	32.24%	5.38%	15.29%	-15.99%	8.64%	11.27%	21.69%	-14.41%	27.54%
VIIIX Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares	-7.06%	17.87%	26.29%	25.79%	-18.14%	28.69%	18.41%	31.48%	-4.41%	21.82%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VTSNX achieves a -1.02% return, which is significantly higher than VIIIX's -7.06% return. Over the past 10 years, VTSNX has underperformed VIIIX with an annualized return of 8.55%, while VIIIX has yielded a comparatively higher 13.82% annualized return.

VTSNX

• 1D: -0.19%
• 1M: -11.12%
• YTD: -1.02%
• 6M: 3.45%
• 1Y: 24.05%
• 3Y*: 14.24%
• 5Y*: 6.90%
• 10Y*: 8.55%

VIIIX

• 1D: -0.39%
• 1M: -7.68%
• YTD: -7.06%
• 6M: -4.59%
• 1Y: 14.44%
• 3Y*: 17.57%
• 5Y*: 11.54%
• 10Y*: 13.82%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VTSNX has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is higher than VIIIX's 0.02% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VTSNX

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Institutional Shares

VIIIX

Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares

Return for Risk

VTSNX vs. VIIIX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

VTSNX

VTSNX Risk / Return Rank: 80
VTSNX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
VTSNX Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
VTSNX Omega Ratio Rank: 78
VTSNX Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
VTSNX Martin Ratio Rank: 79

VIIIX

VIIIX Risk / Return Rank: 46
VIIIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
VIIIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
VIIIX Omega Ratio Rank: 50
VIIIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 42
VIIIX Martin Ratio Rank: 53

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTSNX) and Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	VTSNX	VIIIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.50	0.84	+0.66
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.00	1.30	+0.70
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.20	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.92	1.06	+0.87
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.65	5.14	+2.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VTSNX Sharpe Ratio is 1.50, which is higher than the VIIIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.84. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VTSNX and VIIIX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VTSNX	VIIIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.50	0.84	+0.66
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47	0.69	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.77	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.46	-0.10

Correlation

The correlation between VTSNX and VIIIX is 0.81, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Dividend Comparison

VTSNX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.06%, more than VIIIX's 2.90% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VTSNX Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Institutional Shares	3.06%	3.17%	3.36%	3.24%	3.08%	3.08%	2.13%	3.16%	3.19%	2.75%	2.95%	2.86%
VIIIX Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares	2.90%	2.11%	3.66%	2.66%	3.39%	4.79%	3.07%	2.86%	2.45%	1.84%	2.38%	2.47%

Drawdowns

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VTSNX drawdown since its inception was -35.72%, smaller than the maximum VIIIX drawdown of -55.18%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTSNX and VIIIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VTSNX	VIIIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.72%	-55.18%	+19.46%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.29%	-12.12%	+0.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.55%	-24.50%	-5.05%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.72%	-33.79%	-1.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.29%	-8.90%	-2.39%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.16%	-10.07%	+1.91%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.84%	2.49%	+0.35%

Volatility

VTSNX vs. VIIIX - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTSNX) has a higher volatility of 6.80% compared to Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX) at 4.24%. This indicates that VTSNX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VIIIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VTSNX	VIIIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.80%	4.24%	+2.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.49%	9.08%	+1.41%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.52%	18.13%	-2.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.79%	16.85%	-2.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.83%	18.02%	-2.19%